Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-01-27
) a politician. At the further END =.

extent and SO varied in its functions that few
of the really great practical workers of the
land would have accepted its responsibility
| for ten times its salary, but which, the most
perfect constitution in the world handed over
to men who were obliged to make it step
ping stone to future preferment. There was
another department., more suggestive of its
financial functions from the occasional ex-
travagances or economies exhibited in its pay
rolls-successive congresses having taken other
matters out of its hands-presided over by an
official who bore the title and responsibility
of the custodian and disburscr Of the nations
purse, and received a salary that bank
president would have shifted at. For it was
part Of this constitutional inconsistency and
administrative absurdity that in the matter
of honor, justice, fidelity to trust and even
business integrity, the official was always ex-
pected to be the superior of the government
he represented Yet the crowning inconsist-
ency was that, from time to time, it was sub
mitted to the sovereign people to declare II
these various inconsistencies were not really
the perfect expression Of the most perfect
government the world had known And it
is to be recorded that the unanimous voices of
representative, orator and unfettered poetry
were that it wasl
Even the public press lent itself to the great
inconsistency. 1t was as clear as crystal to
the journal on one side of the avenue that the
country was going to the dogs unless the
spirit of the fathers once more terminated
the public; it was equally clear to the journal
on the other side of the avenue that only
rigid adherence to the letter of the fathers
would save the nation from decline. 1t was
obvious to the first named journal that the
'letter" meant government patronage to the
other journal; it was potent to that journal
that the "shekels" of Senator X really ami
mated the spirit of the fathers. Yet all
agreed that it was great and good and per-
feet government-subject only to the preda-
tory incursions of hydra headed monster
known as a "ring." The rings origin was
wrapped in secrecy, its fecundity was alarm
ing; but although its rapacity was prefer
natural, its digestion was perfect and easy.
1t circllmvolved all affairs in an atmosphere
Of mystery: it clouded all things with the
dust and ashes of distrust. All disappoint-
ment of place, of avarice, of incompetency or
ambition, was clearly attributable to it. 1t
even permeated private and social life; there
were rings in our kitchen and household SER
vice; in our public schools, that kept the
active intelligences of our children passive;
there were rings of engaging, handsome, dis
solute young fellows, who kept us moral
but unengaging seniors from the favors
of the fair; there We're subtle, conspiring
rings among our creditors which sent us into
bankruptcy and restricted our credit. In
fact it would not be hazardous to say that all
that was calamitous in public and private ex-
perience was clearly traceable to that COM
bination of power in a minority over weak
ness in a jor'ty-known as ring.
HAPPY there was body of demigods, as
yet uninvoked, who should speedily settle all
that. When Smith, of Minnesota, Robinson,
of Vermont, and Jones, of Georgia, returned
to congress from those rural seclusions so
potent with information and SO freed from
local prejudices, it was understood, vaguely,
that great things would be DONE This was
always understood. There never was time
in the history of American politics when, to
use the expression of the journals before al
luded to, "the present session Of congress" did
not "bid fair to be the most momentous in
our history, and did not, as far as facts go,
leave vast amount of unfinished important
business lying hopelessly upon its desk, hav-
ing "bolted" the rest as rashly and with as
little regard to digestion or assimilation as
the American traveller has for his railway
refreshment.
In this capital, on this languid midsummer
day, in an upper room of one of its second
rate hotels, the Hon. Pratt C. Gashwiler sat
at his writing table. There are certain large,
feshy men with whom the omission of even
necktie or collar has all the effect of an in
decent exposure. The Hon. Mr.. Gashwiler,
in his trousers and shirt, was a sight to be
avoided by the modest eye. There were such
palpable suggestions of vast extents of unc-
tuous flesh in the slight glimpse offered by
his open throat that his dishabille should have
been as private as his business. Nevertheless,
when there was knock at his door, he un-
Sdiu} SOiliC III. Puohi'0 away q
goblet crowned with certain aromatic herb
with his right hand, while he drew toward
him with bis left a few proof slips Of his
speech. The Gashwiler brow
became, as it were, intelligently distracted.
The intruder regarded Gashwiler with
glance of familiar recognition from his right
eye, while his left took in a rapid survey Of
the papers on the table, and cleaned sardon-
ically.
"You are at work, see" he said apologet-
ically.
"Yes," replied the congressman, with an
air of perfunctory WEAKNESS, lone of my
speeches Those id printers make such
mess of it. suppose 1 don't write very
fine hand"
II the gifted Gashwiler had added that he
did not write a very intelligent hand, or
very grammatical hand, and that his SPELL
ing was faulty, he would have been truth
full, although the copy and proof before him
might not have borne him out. The near
fact was that the speech was composed and
written 10y one Expectant Dobbs, poor re-
tainer % Gashwiler. and the honorable men,
ber's labor as a proof-reader was confined to
the introduction Of such words as ANARCHY"
satrap," palladium " and
"Argus-eyed" in the proof, with little rel
evancy as to position or place, and no per-
ceptible effect as to argument.
The stranger saw all this with his wicked
left eye, but continued to beam mildly with
his right Removing the coat and waistcoat
Of Gashwiler from a chair, he drew it to-
ward the table, pushing aside portly, loud
t;1l-;,,ex .,-atch-fha very image of GaShMilec